Surgical neck of the humerus

The surgical neck of the humerus is a bony constriction at the proximal end of shaft of humerus. It is situated distal to the greater tubercle and lesser tubercle, and proximal to the deltoid tuberosity.

Surgical neck of the humerus
Left humerus. Anterior view. (Surgical neck labeled at upper right.)
Details
Identifiers
Latin	collum chirurgicum humeri
TA98	A02.4.04.004
TA2	1183
FMA	23359
Anatomical terminology

Clinical significance

The surgical neck is much more frequently fractured than the anatomical neck of the humerus. This type of fracture takes place when the humerus is forced in one direction while the joint capsule and the rotator cuff muscles remain intact. A fracture in this area is most likely to cause damage to the axillary nerve and posterior circumflex humeral artery. Damage to the axillary nerve affects function of the teres minor and deltoid muscles, resulting in loss of abduction of arm (from 15-90 degrees), weak flexion, extension, and rotation of shoulder as well as loss of sensation of the skin over a small part of the lateral shoulder.

Additional images

• 
  The difference between anatomical neck and surgical neck of the humerus
• 
  Posterior view of the humerus showing the axillary nerve and posterior circumflex humeral artery at the surgical neck.

See also

• Quadrangular space
• Anatomical neck of the humerus

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 209 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

External links

• Anatomy image: skel/humerusup2 at Human Anatomy Lecture (Biology 129), Pennsylvania State University
• "Surgical neck of humerus". Medcyclopaedia. GE. Archived from the original on 2007-06-20.
• radiographsul at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (xrayleftshoulder)